


Long, Cool Sip

by storiesfortravellers



Category: Leverage
Genre: Awkward Conversations, F/M, Foodie Cocktails, Friends With Benefits, M/M, Multi, Pre-OT3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-06
Updated: 2013-08-06
Packaged: 2017-12-22 15:47:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/915043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesfortravellers/pseuds/storiesfortravellers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Parker and Quinn talk about Eliot. </p><p>Quinn/Eliot friends with benefits relationship, Hardison/Parker established relationship, Parker/Eliot/Hardison pre-OT3.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Long, Cool Sip

**Author's Note:**

> For comment-fic on lj for the prompt: Strawberry Lemonade

Parker came over to Quinn and offered him a glass.

"It's strawberry lemonade," Parker said with a smile as he accepted the drink. "Eliot did something weird to it."

Quinn raised an eyebrow, and she elaborated, "He added basil or something. And tangerine liqeur. And vodka."

"My kind of lemonade," Quinn said and took a sip. It was cold, tart, not overly sweet. "I didn't realize Eliot was so good at this."

"He's good at cooking, too. Has he ever cooked for you?"

"Can't say that he has," Quinn answered.

"You should ask him to. His food's really yummy." 

He smiled and nodded, and took another sip of his drink.

She sat next to him and drank from her own glass too, nervously fidgeting her feet. He could tell she was working herself up to saying something, but he didn't feel the need to rush. He had hung out with Parker enough that he knew to just accept things at her pace.

He was starting to like her. He could understand why Eliot was so protective of her.

Finally, she asked him, "How long are you staying this time?" 

She said it as if it were an accusation, but he knew that for her, this was diplomacy. And he knew the underlying question, too.

Eliot was crazy about Parker and Hardison. And it was obvious that the two felt the same about Eliot. Quinn wasn't sure why they hadn’t acted on it. Probably some crap about not wanting to compromise the team dynamic. Possibly some crap about Eliot thinking he’d be bad for them and the other two not being socially apt enough to make a move without a clear signal.

But if Parker were asking him when he was leaving, the nerd and the thief might have mustered up some sack after all, Quinn thought. They might have plans for Eliot.

“I won’t be here much longer,” Quinn said. “My line of work, you don’t stay in one place too long. Bad for business.”

She thought about this. “Eliot’s in your line of work.”

 

“Used to be, love. Now he’s in the team business, you know that.”

Parker paused and looked at him. “Do you wish you were part of a team?”

Quinn took a long sip of lemonade. He wasn’t expecting this level of scrutiny. 

“Nope,” he said then. “Not for long. I work best alone.”

“I used to feel that way, too,” Parker said, and suddenly her stare felt a little heavy. 

He just nodded and stared into his drink. 

“If you…” Parker said, and her brow furrowed. He could see her struggle to speak. “If you… wanted to, you know, not be alone…. Eliot is… you know… like I said, he’s a good cook.” Her voice was strained, and she was frowning like the words tasted bad in her mouth.

He heard her meaning: She and Hardison wanted Eliot for themselves, but somehow Parker had found it in herself to care whether Quinn needed Eliot more. She knew exactly how hard it was for people like them to find someone they could trust, that could accept who they were. 

Quinn knew it wasn’t Parker's natural inclination to be so selfless. He was touched.

He answered, gently, “Eliot’s great. I love visiting, we have a great time. But I think Eliot might be ready to, you know, stay put. Build something permanent, you know? And that’s not what I’m about. So I’m just visiting since I’m in the area and Eliot’s single. Okay?”

She smiled at him, a little sad for some reason. “Even if Eliot’s not single, you know, for whatever reason… you can still visit us as a friend.” She looked down immediately then, a bit uncomfortable, and quickly took a gulp of her drink. 

Quinn smiled and patted her shoulder. “Friends. Definitely.”


End file.
